Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Forgetful guests

An urn full of ashes, a glass eye, false teeth, artificial limbs and a child are among items left by forgetful guests at hotels in Britain during the past year.

Travelodge boss Guy Parsons said other items included a suitcase full of diamond jewellery, a 12,000 gold necklace and a cat.

Other bizarre items were a 6ft by 6ft remote control model helicopter and a lucky charm, which the owner returned from Dubai to collect because he was experiencing bad luck without it.

"Each year our lost and found departments provide plenty of revelations," Mr Parsons said. "The property guests leave behind can tell a million tales."

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Miracle moggy

A cat accidentally locked in a garden shed in Devon survived for two months by licking condensation off the windows.

According to a BBC report, Emmy, imprisoned when she followed her owner into the garden shed, which he locked up for the winter in Toray, left tongue marks on the glass.

The cat was given up for lost before the owner returned to the shed and found the skinny cat inside.

The family has since moved and given Emmy to the Blue Cross animal centre. A spokesman commented: "Emmy is absolutely fine now and is a little fighter."

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Footing the bill

An English businessman took revenge on his wife for divorcing him by destroying one shoe of every pair she owned, a court heard last week.

Neil Medley, 46, is also accused of burning Jane Sanderson's clothes and underwear in the garden.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the couple, who were married for 13 years, separated in 2006 after Miss Sanderson discovered that they were in severe financial hardship.

Their relationship gradually deteriorated and Miss Sanderson said that she decided to take their children to a friend's house in Somerset.

When she returned, she found that at least 5,000-worth of her clothes and ballgowns that belonged to her sister had gone, as well as one shoe of every pair she owned.

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Burgers bring in the bucks

McDonald's is selling more burgers today than at any time since its arrival in Britain 34 years ago.

Despite concerns about bulging waistlines and childhood obesity, there were more than 88 million visits to the Golden Arches around the UK last month alone.

The figure is up nearly 10 million on the previous year, or roughly 320,000 more people consuming burgers each day. Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "My reaction is one of despair."

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Cop turns pet detective

A former British police officer has a new role as a pet detective.

Tom Watkins left his job after he became disillusioned with the justicesystem.

He is now using his detective skills to look for lost cats and dogs.

The Hereford-based former policeman told the Metro: "There was so much red-tape involved in the police. But being a pet detective is something I love. I have been brought up with animals and I always wanted to help people."